Spatial mapping of rheumatoid arthritis synovial niches reveals a LYVE1+ macrophage network associated with response to therapy
Authors' conclusion
We identify the LYVE1+ macrophage network as a pivotal component of synovial homeostasis and its restoration as a hallmark of clinical remission.
Study context
- Population
- Synovial tissues from healthy controls, patients with OA and patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs)
- Comparison
- Synovial tissue before vs after 6 months of csDMARD therapy in early RA, with healthy controls and OA
Methodological detailslongitudinal, high-dimensional imaging mass cytometry, validation with whole-tissue RNA-sequencing and immunofluorescence, in vitro functional coculture assays
- Longitudinal
- High-dimensional imaging mass cytometry
- Validation with whole-tissue RNA-sequencing and immunofluorescence
- In vitro functional coculture assays
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
6 months
- LYVE1+CD206+ tissue-resident macrophage network localised within perivascular niches alongside fibroblasts and vascular cells
- Network disrupted in active RA but restored in patients responding well to csDMARDs
- Restoration correlated with re-establishment of specific cell-cell interactions, governed by pathways incl. chemokines, annexins and TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK) receptors
- LYVE1+ macrophages showed a regulatory, anti-inflammatory phenotype in vitro, contrasting with proinflammatory myeloid cells
Original publication
Spatial mapping of rheumatoid arthritis synovial niches reveals a LYVE1+ macrophage network associated with response to therapy. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 22 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →